ZAGREB, 18 May, 2021 - The Supreme Court, meeting in a general session on Tuesday, did not give a positive opinion on any of the five candidates who applied for the position of Supreme Court President following a new call issued by the State Judicial Council.

Zlata Đurđević, the candidate enjoying the support of President of the Republic Zoran Milanović, received one vote from all the judges attending the general session, while the other candidates received none, according to a statement issued by the Supreme Court.

The session was attended by 33 of the total of 35 judges from all departments of the Supreme Court. They discussed the candidates' programmes and CVs and then took a vote by secret ballot.

Earlier, it was announced that Parliament will discuss the President's nominee for Supreme Court chief  after the local elections. The law requires that a general session of the Supreme Court and the parliamentary Justice Committee also need to give their non-binding opinions on the President's proposal.

The State Judicial Council (DSV) issued a new public call for applications on 31 March after President Milanović told the DSV that he would not propose any of the candidates who had applied in the previous call. The new call was closed on 6 May.

Insisting that the nomination of candidates was his constitutional right, Milanović proposed Đurđević as his candidate for the post of Supreme Court President in March already, but Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković refused to include the proposal on Parliament's agenda saying that it was unlawful.

The Constitutional Court then ruled that the President of the Republic can only nominate a candidate who has responded to the DSV's public call, saying that this does not restrict the President's right to nominate and Parliament's right to choose a Supreme Court President.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković later said that, although she is a criminal law professor, Đurđević had agreed to be part of an unlawful procedure and therefore she was unfit to lead the highest judicial body in the country.

Right-wing opposition groups in Parliament have also announced that they will not support Đurđević.

The term of the incumbent Supreme Court President, Đuro Sessa, expires in July. If Parliament fails to appoint a new head of the highest court by then, the position will be temporarily held by the Deputy President of the Supreme Court, Marin Mrčela.

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ZAGREB, 13 May, 2021 - The State Election Commission (DIP) on Thursday called on all participants in the 16 May local election, physical and legal persons as well as media outlets, to observe electoral silence that starts at midnight on Saturday and ends on Sunday at 7 pm, when polling stations will be closed.

Violations of the electioneering ban are reported to municipal, town and county electoral commissions and the City of Zagreb Election Commission and they are subject to fines ranging from HRK 3,000 for physical persons to HRK 500,000 for legal persons, including political parties.

Candidates who violate the electioneering ban may be fined HRK 10,000 to 30,000.

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ZAGREB, Aug 21, 2020 - SDP parliamentarian Pedja Grbin said on Friday that he had handed in his candidacy for the Social Democratic Party leader with almost 1,400 signatures in support of his presidential bid.

Asked about another two candidates for the SDP presidency, Grbin said that Mirela Ahmetovic is an excellent mayor and Zeljko Kolar is an excellent county prefect and both are serious politicians and SDP members who, after the election could be a part of his team.

Grbin said that SDP's defeat in the 5 July parliamentary elections should serve as a springboard for transforming the party for the better. 

He confirmed that a problem exists regarding party membership and membership fees, because of the 33,000 members of the party only about 6,000 regularly pay membership fees, he said adding that this was because of the membership's disappointment in the party.

The election won't be legitimate if the majority of membership does not vote

I appealed to the leadership and that has brought results and regular paying members now count about 12,000 and I hope there will be more, he said.

He believes that the election will not be legitimate if at least half or a good portion of SDP members would not vote in the intra-party elections set for 26 September.

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ZAGREB, Aug 21, 2020 - Krapina-Zagorje County Prefect Zeljko Kolar on Friday presented his candidacy to run for the leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the internal election, saying that he will advocate a modern Croatia with an efficient judicial system and a functioning market economy.

"My desire to run as a candidate did not come overnight. That was not a spontaneous move but the product of my wish for more than necessary changes in the party," he claimed.

He said that he would develop the SDP as a modern center-left party while overcoming rifts inside the SDP.

Thinking about candidacy for prime minister, not a priority now 

Asked whether he would be a candidate for the prime minister's position, Kolar said that that was not a priority now, however, whoever has the best chance of defeating Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic should be the candidate.

That decision is up to the presidency and main committee, Kolar said, and added that he would be willing to support whoever will be the best option.

Remarking on membership numbers which his opponent Grbin spoke about, Kolar said that it was disastrous that of the 34,000 SDP members only 11,500 pay their membership fees and announced that one of his first steps would be to deal with the issue of membership.

Grbin was a member of the presidency in two terms, he could have dealt with that. I wasn't because I was conducting the duties of county prefect, said Kolar.

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